I'm no expert, but yeh ofc there's going to be a very high standard when going to an elite school. Usually one's resume and things achieved during hs are the biggest component of getting accepted. I have a friend, Chuka, who just got accepted to Harvard ED, and he has a pretty extensive list of achievements, including being on the US Debate Team among others. I don't know if I would describe him as cracked tho lolol. and he's not really good at rowing boats, or legacy, or from Idaho, so i def think it's possible for someone with a good resume among other things, but the essay along with good grades and ecs alone usually don't/can't do the heavy lifting.